Starlink's Lifeline: Lebanon Greenlights Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Amid Crisis
Lebanon's government licenses Starlink to deliver high-speed internet, targeting businesses in a nation grappling with economic collapse and infrastructure woes.
In a major boost for Lebanon's beleaguered telecommunications sector, the government has officially granted a license to Elon Musk's Starlink to provide satellite internet services across the crisis-ridden country. The announcement, made late Thursday by Information Minister Paul Morcos, allows Starlink—operated by Musk's SpaceX—to deploy its constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed connectivity nationwide, potentially revolutionizing access in a region plagued by slow speeds and frequent outages.
The decision follows a June phone call between Musk and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, where the billionaire entrepreneur expressed keen interest in partnering on telecommunications and internet infrastructure projects. After six months of negotiations, Starlink established a local entity, Starlink Lebanon, which secured the license despite fierce lobbying from state-owned providers and their affiliates, who have long monopolized the market.
Initially, the service will be limited to businesses, with subscription packages starting at $100 per month—a move aimed at stabilizing corporate operations amid Lebanon's dire economic situation. "This is a vital lifeline for companies relying on reliable internet," said Tony Saad, spokesperson for Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage, highlighting the potential for Starlink to bypass the country's outdated terrestrial networks.
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The approval coincides with broader reforms, as the cabinet also appointed regulatory authorities for both the telecommunications and electricity sectors during the same meeting. The electricity regulator, long overdue by over two decades, addresses chronic waste and corruption in State-run Electricite du Liban (EDL), an institution that has drained approximately $40 billion from public coffers since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war and squanders more than $1 billion annually.
Lebanon's infrastructure has crumbled further under a multifaceted crisis: an economic meltdown since late 2019—deemed one of the worst globally since the 1850s by the World Bank—exacerbated by the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that concluded in November 2024, inflicting severe damage on power grids and other facilities. Daily electricity cuts, once lasting hours, now stretch for days, hampering everything from households to hospitals.
President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who assumed office earlier this year, have prioritized anti-corruption drives and structural reforms to unlock international aid. In April, the World Bank pledged a $250 million loan specifically to mitigate electricity shortages, underscoring the urgency of these changes. With Starlink's entry, Lebanon joins neighbors like Oman in embracing satellite tech, though full residential rollout remains pending further approvals.
As over 8,000 Starlink satellites orbit 550 km above Earth, the service promises download speeds up to 220 Mbps— a stark contrast to Lebanon's current average of under 10 Mbps. Experts see this as a step toward digital resilience, but warn that without tackling underlying monopolies, its impact may be curtailed.
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